Student Highlights: Lev Lyudmirsky

Lev was enrolled at the Amity campus, Amistad de Los Angeles, last year starting on March 22 for a total of 10 months. He came to our men’s community from a level 4 prison requiring him to wear an ankle monitor. At the time of his enrollment, Lev had spent 2 terms in prison and experienced 15 years of addiction.

He was originally born in Ukraine and came to the U.S. with his mother at the age of 6. While at Amistad, he participated in several workshops and group circles where he demonstrated a positive attitude towards others in the community. During his stay, he also got involved in the Amity culinary department which teaches students the difficult skills and knowledge required to prepare food at a professional level. This experience led him to choose his future career path in the culinary field.

Lev was able to graduate from culinary school and is currently employed as a chef at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. After finishing at Amistad, he transitioned to the larger community on January 8, 2023. He continues to give back in ways such as encouraging others to speak and share their stories and helping out with Amistad Campus tours.

Story provided by Amistad Director of Services, Raul Frias